Before the Moon Grows
by InsaneNuclearUnit
Summary: Your favourite pairings. Your favourite characters. Your favourite Forks where something goes wrong once again. Tolerate my OC's and critique my writing and maybe you'll enjoy it. Children of the Moon.
1. A visitor of sorts

**1. A visitor of sorts. **

Edward

Renesmee's hands were growing quickly. They were graceful, with long, nimble fingers and perfect little nails. She'd cut them only yesterday upon my request. I knew that it probably didn't matter and it was silly to pertain to the human rules of this art, but it seemed almost ritual. She was happy to consent and now, as she sat on my lap, the pads of her fingers moved without noise, ghosting over the ivory-white keys.

"Try a C-major," I encouraged, interrupting her mute explorations of the piano, and listened as she picked out the correct notes without hesitation. She twitched only slightly and I knew she wanted to talk to me again but also didn't want to stop the simple sounds of the chord.

"Too easy?" I guessed by the tenor of her thoughts, and she smiled silently. "Then how about an E minor?"

Still no hesitation. She stretched her pinky this time, choosing to keep all of the notes in the air instead of hitting them one by one.

"Do you remember what I showed you yesterday?"

She paused a bit, then glanced at me and pressed her warm palm into the curve of my cheek. Music filtered through my head, along with the correct placements. Moonlight Sonata.

"I'll play the left hand," I told her, moving it to hover over the lower gamut. "Don't forget the sharps."

It wasn't a difficult piece because of the tempo, for it was slow and leisurely. The difficulty lay in remembering all of the half-tone step-ups while attempting to make it look effortless. I had no trouble with my lonely four-beat stretches of simplistic chords and Renesmee seemed to be happy to be playing the main melody. She appeared to have no problems with the correct tunes either. I relaxed slightly; enjoying the sounds, letting them filter through us both, hold us afloat between time and space.

Her little warm body, before pressed up against my own, was now moving in rhythm with the melancholy emotions that the piece always summoned. I watched her eyes close as she played by memory, forgetting everything else, and was reminded of myself. My favorite escape – the forte-piano. I hoped with a sudden feverishness that it would also be one of her own. I longed very much to share as much of the world as I could with her and it appeared that I had succeeded.

We began to drift into the second movement, dancing through the dark harmony of Beethoven together. Her fingers moved along like tides, coming and going, ad lib-ing the fortes and pianos as she saw fit, managing to make it her own as well. I followed her dutifully, letting her have her own character within the piece, not even noticing the presence behind us. As we drifted up the scales, she increased the volume, turning up the dial of emotion. I held my breath without realizing I was doing it, listening in wonder to her travels on the stretch of the black-and-white sea of keys. And then, finally, as the two last chords chimed in a dual bass, like the gongs of an old clock, I finally let out my sigh. My lips had been stretched into a smile without noticing it, and I had to nearly chuckle at myself. Nessie's weight on my lap shifted and she threw her arms around my neck, bleeding her heat into my stone-like temperature. I hugged her back.

"You played beautifully," I assured her.

"Let's play again," she begged me, seeming eager to drown us both in the harmonies of classics again. I laughed quietly but warmly and pulled her away to study her pretty face. Her lips transformed into a pout.

"If I kidnap you for any longer, your mother might just get jealous," I teased, tearing my eyes away from her face and focusing it on my other favorite. Bella gave me a look of amused accusation from her place on the steps of the curved stairs.

"I wouldn't be jealous," she said defensively, gliding toward us and picking Renesmee up out of habit. The girl settled in the familiar shape of her arms easily and curled up like a kitten. She'd grown now to the side of a six-year-old but she still managed to fit comfortably.

Renesmee's hands flew up, asking eagerly if Bella had heard.

"Every note," Bella hugged her closer, obviously proud. "You've inherited your father's talent."

"Most of it is her own," I argued, but no one developed on the debate. Instead, she set our daughter down and patted her curls softly.

"Renesmee, go see Auntie Rose. She wanted me to come get you; she has something interesting to show you."

I looked up at my mate's perfect face with concealed surprise but Nessie didn't seem to notice the unusual bidding. She simply danced away up the stairs with a grace that was probably learned from Alice, like a restless gazelle. We watched her disappear onto the second floor, and then looked at each other as if on cue. Bella's face tensed suddenly, as if she'd been hiding something. I remembered her signature blush and found myself missing it. If she had any blood left, she'd be beet red by now. Instead, she was just pale, beautiful, and undoubtedly troubled. I reached out for her hands immediately and took them in my own, peeking into her amber eyes.

"What is it?" I murmured.

"You didn't notice?" she asked, then shook her head. "Oh, sorry, I knew you were busy with Nessie but perhaps I'd thought…"

Immediately, I unfurled my mind's senses like wings, searching for any hint of trouble. I'd been so involved with the music that the hour slipped by without me even bothering to read anyone's thoughts except for Renesmee's. I was startled at myself, and twice the more worried because of it. I found no one in any immediate danger except for the fragmented tone of worry outside of the house, by the river. My eyebrows drew together in concentration as I listened to Alice's splintered theories but could catch neither head nor tail of it. That is, until a word ran through her mind and into mine like a freight-train, freezing everything.

_Invaders. _

I tensed, my grip on Bella's hands tightening instinctively. My consciousness divided as I focused half on her again to try to get all of he information.

"She saw something?" I asked, still following Alice's attempts to organize her vision.

"She's not sure what it is." Bella bit her lip. Her eyes were wide but resolved. I knew that she must have been mentally preparing herself for another stand-off with a deadly enemy. To my own relief, I found this possibility unlikely.

"Not the Volturi," I told her quickly, then flew back to Alice's memories. She seemed to be becoming aware of the fact that I might have been listening and began to shift through the dim pictures again. They appeared to be sharp and out of order, moving with quick, jerking motions. I pondered at this anomaly while trying to distinguish the shapes moving through the silhouettes of the forest. They were only two, and oddly misshapen. Despite their odd forms, they moved with a speed and agility of an animal. Their movements, like the vision, were sudden and wild. Uncontrolled.

I shook my head and snapped myself back to place, pulling out of the chaotic sight. I had a few possible theories, and none of them were particularly inviting.

"Not the Volturi," I repeated, although there was still a possibility that they had gained a new member who could distort Alice's power. I didn't like this and moved on to my next guesses.

"Maybe some newborns."

Bella glanced toward the window, alert. "How far?"

I concentrated on the tenor of the vision, trying to match it to any thoughts in the surrounding area, and found the search unfruitful. Still, from the little I could catch through the vision, I assumed they were near Forks but farther up north, in the thicker, wilder woods.

"Not far enough," I growled. I was more annoyed that upset. I wondered what Carlisle would do to drive them away. If they were, indeed, newborns, then it'd be a risk to try to talk sense into them.

"Edward."

I turned and watched Alice flash to us, dropping into a stand-still at the steps. Her tiny hands were clenched into fists. "I don't think they're newborns," she said.

I could see by the dazed stare of her eyes that she was still trying to see. Bella and I waited patiently, driving away any sort of panic with the reassurance that we'd always be there for each other.

_Not newborns_? I asked myself. _Who, Alice?_

She grit her teeth and let her head fall forward, chin resting on her collarbone. Her eyes fluttered closed. I followed her into her mind dutifully, swimming through the mess. It was like trying to read words that moved too quickly and jumped out of your way. Dyslexia.

She was trying to focus on something, trying to figure something out. Her mental focus was not on the way they moved or on their location. She was trying very hard to capture some inane detail, trying to find an answer to an unvoiced question. I stumbled along with her, bumping unevenly through the forest as it shook, hurling me through the vision. I felt nearly sick and incredibly frustrated.

_What do you need, Alice_?! I demanded, wishing she could hear me. She continued her reach. We pulled closer, gaining more perspective on the mutated forms. Their dark shapes melted before my eyes and trembled in my line of sight, refusing to stay still. I began to pull out, feeling an unfamiliar throbbing in my head from this stupidity, but then suddenly she succeeded.

I caught only a millisecond of the truth before we both fell back, but it was enough.

"Edward?" It was Bella this time. She had her hands on my face and her eyes were even more worried than before. "Edward?"

"Not newborns." I said, rubbing my forehead. It was incredibly helpful to finally feel the earth beneath my feet. The stability was nearly alien after the crazy ride through the sight. "Their eyes…"

Their eyes weren't red. And not at all like a vampire's. Animal eyes, gold, shining retinas, reflecting the moonlight. Wild, uncontrolled.

Uncontrolled.

I understood faster than Alice. I knew it because I'd remembered seeing these kinds of eyes in another's mind. Inhuman, but not vampire. I shook my head in disbelief. What were these two _thinking_?

"Not newborns… They're coming to hide. They're looking for us."

"Who?" Bella demanded. Alice was also watching me intently, confused. "Who's coming? Nomads?"

"No… A pack…" I groaned, threading my fingers into my hair in frustration. This wasn't as bad as I expected, but still worse. Was that possible?

"A pack?" Bella shook her head, "Jacob's? Sam's?"

"No. Not shape-shifters." I felt anger flooding into me. I would not allow for this! "No. They're coming to hide with us. They must think… they're heard about our victory over the Volturi and they must think… we can protect them." I swore under my breath. Bella was even more concerned. Alice was silent. She was picking her way to the truth. She was getting there.

They were coming to hide with us from Caius. They'd heard of us and now they'd escaped to their only chance left.

A pack. Not vampire, not wolf.

Perhaps the last remaining pack of the Children of the Moon.

The true werewolves.


	2. A hiatus from being prey sounded nice

_Hey guys. Those of you reading this are probably the ones who already know me since OCs tend to drive away readers that are not familiar with you. I understand it's practically taboo between reasonable authors but I figured I'd better give it a try. _

_Please enjoy it to the best of your abilities and tell me how to fix things so that I can make it a more pleasureable read for the rest of you._

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**2. A hiatus from being prey sounded nice… **

**Bella**

We knew they were coming. But we weren't ready. And anyway, how could one be ready for something they'd never before seen? I, for one, was tense as a stone. I doubted that I'd moved a millimeter from my post at the window since midnight. Now, dawn was approaching and I was as watchful as I'd been six hours ago. I was waiting for the worst.

Edward and Carlisle tried to keep us calm but none of it helped. Only they had any possible idea of what we were about to face. And even Edward hadn't ever come to face one. He'd only seen it in Caius' mind, and most of those were memories of savage, bloody battles. Not very comforting.

Jacob had taken Renesmee to LaPush. They were now safe together, and he had a chance to inform the other pack about what was going on. I could only imagine how Sam would react. I didn't really know how to myself.

"It'll be fine." Edward assured me, his hand resting on my shoulder. I had heard him approach but my mind was still distracted enough and so I froze for a second before relaxing into him. His arms wound around my waist possessively. I attached myself to him as well, breathing in his scent. It helped me slightly, but not fully. I was still trying to imagine different scenarios, familiarizing myself with each outcome. Would they be hostile? Violent? Dangerous? Or shy, cautious, in need of protecting?

Edward tried to convince me it was the latter. He had faith in the fact that the Children of the Moon would not approach any vampire coven by free will unless they were truly desperate. And besides, most of them hid up north in Europe in Asia nowadays, trying to stay alive while Caius' 'cleansing' plowed its way through the lands. He was actually scared of them, Edward explained. His near loss of a battle with one evolved into a vicious and blind hate. I wasn't surprised to hear this. Caius and hate typically went together.

"What do they eat?" I asked him, trying to sound casual, but he heard the tenseness in my trill.

"Meat," he answered. "All kinds. They have a bloodlust to match ours, only they have a schedule for it. During the full moon, it's almost impossible to stop one from hunting. I've heard of some of them migrating throughout the month – closer to civilization on darker night, and then farther into the wilderness as the moon grew."

"To protect people?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Maybe." But his tone indicated doubt. "I think it's more for their own safety. If they were to murder, then they'd be in danger of being found. Caius knows his prey. And they know him. It's gotten to be quite a long game of chess."

"But Caius is winning." I looked up at him.

"Yes," his face showed no pity or satisfaction. It was blank. Like me, he didn't know enough about them to have a clear disposition. I was beginning to feel a sort of empathy, however. Caius did not leave good impressions on me.

"If they do seek protection…" I started, looking away from his eyes and beginning to trace patters with my index finger on his collarbone, "will we give it to them?"

"I still don't know." From his voice, I knew that it troubled him. "No doubt Carlisle will consider it but…"

"But…?" I urged.

"But they are dangerous. As dangerous as newborns, even. If they were to lose control on a full moon and massacre half the town, I don't imagine we'd have an easy time staying inconspicuous." He was trying to joke but it fell flat. I could already imagine it. My still heart seemed to shudder slightly for Charlie and Sue and Billy and everyone else.

"How likely is that?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "It frustrates me, knowing so little. But perhaps once they do come we'll be able to decide."

"Renesmee should stay with Jacob for now. And he should stay away, too," I said.

"Of course."

"And Charlie… maybe I should call him and tell him not to leave the house." I looked up at my husband for confirmation. "Do you think?"

"I think Charlie should be fine…" he said hesitantly. I wondered if he was just trying to make me believe it wasn't as bad as I'd thought. "No need to make him worry without a cause. They should be here soon anyway." His gaze blanked for a moment, then became sharp again. "Alice can smell them at the werewolf… Jacob's border. They're quick, but wary." His consciousness drifted again. I waited with as much patience as I could muster. He spoke lowly, trying to multitask to keep me on track. "I can almost hear them now." A frown followed this. "They're not… trustful. And I think there are… more than two…"

"More than two?" I echoed. "How many?"

"Three… four?" he stepped away from me, taking my hand. We walked with painful slowness away from the window and outside. The wind caressed my face. The blades of grass decorated with droplets of dew were reflecting the delicate sunrise. The meadow in front of the house was shining with the orange light of the sun. I told myself to focus and squeezed Edward's hand. He returned the gesture but was still too far away to do anything else. I heard Carlisle and Esme join us. Emmett was in the woods with Alice and Jasper. Rosalie was still inside.

"They can tell Alice is there… and Jasper… Alice is coming back." He didn't look up like the rest of us did, waiting for her to come into our line of sight. "They've slowed down. They're…splitting up."

We listened to him intently. I saw Alice appear like a pale flash of silver and watched her run clear across the water. She was almost a blur even to me. Her form finally became still when she reached us. I glanced at her worriedly.

"How is it?" I asked.

"They're not as uncontrolled as Edward thought," she reported quickly. "There is some form of organization there. I just don't know what kind. And I can hardly see them. Everything's shaky." She groaned quietly. "It's almost as bad as Nessie."

"One is coming to talk to us." Edward put his fingers to his left temple, closing his eyes. "Three were left behind… They're… on guard. Alice, please tell me Jasper and Emmett won't bother them." He looked at her suddenly.

She seemed happy to concentrate on something easier. The answer came within seconds. "They'll stay nearby but no, they won't make any contact."

He nodded, satisfied. He was about to say something else, too, when Carlisle attracted our attention to something new at the edge of the forest. My eyes snapped to it locking with deadly accuracy of the moving figure and scrutinizing every detail.

It was a female, about the height of Esme with matted, dirty blonde hair. She was skinny; too skinny. Under her dark, grass-stained jeans and baggy sweatshirt, I could tell that her figure was all bone. Her face showed some of this, too, and not only in the physical features. Her eyes were so much like a wolf's that I had to do a double-take to the rest of her human shape. There was a sort of suppressed fire in them, a flame that could erupt into an inferno at any second. Her nostrils flared as she smelled the air and her pupils trembled with what appeared to be fear. She walked to the edge of the river, and then took a gallant leap across it, landing in a crouch on the other bay. Then she stood and began to walk towards us at a much slower pace. Her body showed me that she did not want to be here, that she resented whatever choice they'd made. She looked to be about thirty, but with her facial expression, much younger. I was smug about this. My past fears thawed a bit. I could snap her in half like a twig, I was sure.

Edward seemed to sense my confidence but he did not relax. His eyes were still searching for a sign of danger everywhere at once. Alice tilted her head to the side with some curiosity.

Carlisle, the only one of us who was probably not making alternative plans to go into offence-mode, took a step forward.

The woman flinched and froze. Her stance became a statue. Only her eyes moved. I marveled at her – not even Jacob could stand that still.

Carlisle's hands spread and turned palms upward – he was trying to show her that he did not plan to attack. A gentle, reassuring smile played on his face, the kind I'd seen many times. I wondered what the woman thought of it.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, without a beginning or end. Her voice was quiet but I heard it. I knew she expected us all to. "Thank you… for allowing us onto your territory."

"If you come with peaceful intentions, then we will do you no harm," Carlisle answered with the same volume that she'd used. I saw her nod – she'd heard. She took a few steps forward. We were about thirty feet apart.

"I am Juniper," she introduced herself. "And back in your forest are my pack-mates. We wish to use your land for cover and gain some information. We come from northern Siberia. We heard by chance about your face-off with the Volturi-clan there and traveled here to find you."

Carlisle nodded. "We'd assumed as much. If you have no hostile plans for me or my coven, then you are all invited into our house."

Juniper stood a bit straighter. Her gaze flickered to all of us, studying each face nervously. Then she seemed to finally believe the words she'd heard. "I will call her," she told us, and brought her hand to her face. She wore gloves, and she now pulled the left one off with her teeth. I caught a glint of sharp canines. Then, without a warning, she bit into her own hand, sinking her fangs into the base of her thumb. My eyes widened and I glanced to Edward in confusion. He seemed just as baffled. I turned back to the woman, watching her shake out the bitten hand casually. The wounds closed up in seconds, leaving nothing behind, not even blood. I caught a scent of it – bitter and laden with the smell of iron, and realized she must have licked it up before I'd noticed.

We stood stock-still, not knowing what to expect. Edward became tense all over again and I forced myself to look at him instead of the odd woman before us.

"They're coming," he said, too quiet for anyone to hear. He seemed puzzled as he spoke it. "The bite was… a signal?"

"But how did they know…?" I began, then cut off as more visitors showed.

This time, my eyes could not immediately comprehend the situation. Although I saw with perfect clarity the shape that appeared on the opposite side of the river, it took me an extra half-second to understand why her figure was so distorted. Her sides were bulging – her skinny arms were wrapped around two bulky 'somethings'. I struggled to put two and two together, and finally I understood. When I did, I had to rearrange everything I'd before planned. My considered scenarios did not include this.

She jumped the river and began to walk to Juniper. Unlike the woman, she did not appear afraid. Her stride was long and sure and almost violent within itself. She had a head of auburn-colored corkscrew curls that just barely brushed her shoulders and wolf-like, steel-gray eyes. Her mouth parted as she got closer and she pulled her lips back to reveal her pointed teeth. I would have returned the scowl, but somehow, I could not bring myself to argue with something I would have done myself.

After all, it was instinct.

The lumps at her sides stirred and uncurled from their defensive positions. From beneath two dirty, lumpy jackets, two pairs of eyes stared back at us. Two children.

Her children.

Children of the Moon.

…_**::**__**Λυκάνθρωπο::…**_

They ate more than just meat. Within an hour, the fridge full of various things on the off-chance that Charlie would visit, including celery and chocolate, had disappeared. I stared in wonder as Esme fluttered happily from the kitchen to the dining room table, bringing them more and more. They were polite enough to refuse the first time, but then just gave in and began to shovel. Juniper ate slowly, always watchful of some unvoiced signal that they'd gone too far. Her pack-mate, Charlotte, had no such limits. She was, in a few words, sudden and impulsive. Her short fuse was especially apparent. After she made sure her two children were eating, she vacuumed up two entire chickens, four apples, a liter of coca-cola, ten fried potatoes, three snickers bars and a packet of raw bacon in less than 45 minutes and then proceeded to glare at anyone who got within a five-foot radius of the two boys.

Their names, we learned, were Arkadii and Andrei. Both were three and a half years old, and they were fraternal twins. Arkadii was the older, with ruffled dark hair that stood up like a fledgling's feathers on his head. He had gray eyes just like his mother, and a thoughtful expression. Andrei, his brother, had the same kind of hair, but his eyes were unique – only the right one was gray. The left one was a bright sky-blue. He was slightly more animated, reminding me of a husky-dog. They both sat in the chairs beside Charlotte and touched her often, as if for reassurance that she was still there. She checked them out just as much, patting down Arkadii's raven locks out of what appeared to be a habit, or adjusting Andrei's oversized jacket to make him more comfortable. She didn't pay any attention to anyone else in the room, even Juniper who had gone into the living room to talk with Carlisle after she was done eating.

I decided to follow them after tiring of watching the little family. They appeared to pose no danger to anything except, maybe, the antique table that Esme loved so much. I wondered if Charlotte would stop her sons from destroying the old, polished wood if they decided it looked shiny enough to gnaw on. Without finding the answer I left, tuning into the conversation that had started up between the two leaders.

"…for about thirty years. We lived in a village near the woods often, but traveled every year or so. It provided ample cover, even from the weather. Usually, we were lucky enough to find an empty cabin in the winter. The owners went to the city during the colder season and we simply took advantage of the resources. For about a decade we actually attempted living in the metro area, renting an apartment. That proved to be too troublesome, though – it's harder to stay undercover with so many people around, as you understand. And the culture still preserved some superstitions despite the industrialized population…" she sighed. Her voice was cautious and distrustful even as she relayed the majority of her life to the timid Carlisle. He was truly interested though, that I could see. His eyes were alight as he asked questions.

"Did you meet any of your kind? Did you face dangers from any human epidemics?"

Juniper shook her head and pushed her hair behind her left ear nervously. "No, human sickness is nothing to us… our kind. And we met no one, either. It's harder to stay hidden in big groups and mostly… Charlotte is not patient enough to stay with anyone for long."

"But she stayed with you," Carlisle noted innocently. "Are you a relation of hers?"

"No, I'm her 'Lunar mother'. I introduced her to the moon. That's what we call it when…" Juniper's voice faltered again. No doubt she felt awkward talking of this. Carlisle's honest eyes gave her confidence, though. "Well, I bit her, I mean."

"How many years ago?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Thirty... two?" she paused to count, "Yes, I think… She was seventeen."

I was surprised. So Charlotte, who had all the self-control of a teenager, was already forty-nine? Was this a mid-life crisis for her or just her natural personality? I had to roll my eyes as I thought of it. Either way, she was unpleasant.

"So because you created her she stayed with you?"

"There's a certain amount of attachment between the infected and the infector." Juniper mumbled. "And while she learned to… cope… it was safer for her to stay with me."

"Carlisle," Esme stepped out of the kitchen, exaggerating her movements to not startle Juniper. He looked up, and so did the woman. Esme turned to her although she'd addressed her mate. "I was just wondering… if you'd like to take a bath and get some new clothes. You must be exhausted from the journey."

"We wouldn't dare invade your house any longer," Juniper said, but we all smelled the sudden rush of adrenaline through her system. She sounded afraid of the idea, as if she suspected that we were somehow luring her into a trap. "We can stay outside. I assure you, we're quite used to it…"

"But the children," Esme insisted. "Could we at least give you extra clothes or blankets?"

"If Charlotte accepts them," the woman said in a strained voice, looking to the kitchen briefly. Esme nodded hopefully and disappeared, slightly faster than usual. Juniper took no notice this time. Her gaze returned to Carlisle who seemed to be eager to restart the interview.

"The father of the boys…" he began, leaving the topic open for any sort of direction.

"A lycanthrope as well. Charlotte met him briefly, but then we had to flee. We had our suspicions that Caius caught him." She didn't appear too saddened.

"I wasn't aware that the Children of the Moon were able to… conceive." He admitted, treading very carefully. Juniper was not offended however, because her answer came quickly enough.

"It's rare, but not unheard of. Charlotte's fertility is almost like an albino gene… She's proud of it..." I sensed an unsaid emotion underlying the sentence, as if Juniper did not share her pride. "She was very happy when she realized she was pregnant. I didn't think that keeping the cubs would be a good idea but they were hers and so…" she shrugged, as if to say that it was inevitable.

I felt an uncertain understanding for the girl in the kitchen, but it was short-lived. Her temper and hostility still worried me. "Why would children be bad?" I asked, ignoring the startled gazes of both of the conversers. Juniper's fearful eyes took in my complexion. We were approximately the same height but my stance and facial expression must have looked intimidating to her. I didn't uncross my arms from where they folded over my chest, waiting.

"It would be… difficult to flee… while we were tied down with other obligations. Like keeping them warm and fed and safe," she mumbled, barely audible. Carlisle looked at me with a soft plea in his eyes. I sensed that he was not happy with my interrogation tactics.

As if responding to his gaze, Edward appeared behind me, his hands on my forearms, his cheek pressed against my ear. Juniper's anxiety jumped and her heart thudded a few beats out of its meek rhythm. I turned to him and he led me away, back into the kitchen. The voices behind us did not start up again until we were well out of their sight.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, his butterscotch eyes worried. His fingers pushed through my hair gently. I shook my head in a jerking motion and then checked the table. Charlotte was gone, as were the twins.

"Did Esme convince them, then?" I asked.

"Charlotte isn't as afraid of us as Juniper is. It wasn't difficult," he told me, leaning back against the counter. I watched his relaxed pose and couldn't help but relax myself. Despite my constant worries, no one had gotten hurt yet. None of the assumed danger had shown itself. Then again… we had the entire half a day left. And the night. And even more after that. How long would they stay?

"What are you thinking?" he asked, frustrated. I had to smile as I was reminded of the phrase once more. I wasn't patient enough to push away my shield now, though, and not trustful enough. Instead, I settled for talking.

"We still don't know what might happen. Why is Juniper so jumpy? Why is Charlotte so edgy? And her children – are they even hers? How do we know they aren't lying? I don't like this, Edward, I don't like _them_. I understand it's unnatural but I didn't expect this. I'm worried…" I lowered my voice even more, "for Renesmee. I don't want to leave her for more than a day, even with Jacob. But I'm not sure I want her and our guests to meet, either." I took a deep breath and took a step toward him. He caught me as I fell into his chest and curled myself around his perfect shape, seeking comfort. His finger traced patterns on my back.

"It's perfectly natural," he assured me. "And believe me, you aren't the only one who's worried. Alice won't sit still for more than five seconds upstairs – they're driving her insane. Jasper hasn't come inside the house at all. And the only reason _I'm_ calm is because I can see their logic." He hesitated and pressed his lips tightly together, as if considering the best words for this. "Juniper is very afraid. Despite her actions, I doubt she's truly a leader. She didn't want to come here at all – she's afraid of vampires. Caius is the cause of that. As for Charlotte…" he rolled his eyes, "she doesn't care much for anything as long as her Andrei and Arkadii are safe. Her mind is a bit chaotic but simple in that sense. She won't attack us as long as there is some chance that we'll be useful to her for protection."

I frowned. "That doesn't solve anything. How can we protect them? I'm not about to go through all of that again just for two strangers…" my head began to shake on its own accord, denying everything that could possibly make this right. "And the full moon… what of that?"

"We have eight days until the full moon."

"Will they leave by then?" I demanded. "I won't have them anywhere near Charlie or Renesmee! Or even Jacob – who knows how the packs will react? The last thing we need is another feud!"

"Alice can't see them very well – I think it's because they're still undecided. I'll keep an eye out. For now, I'd assume that they weren't planning to stay for that long. But…"

"But?" I urged.

"But just incase, Bella, I need you to calm down. Everything will be alright." He kissed my hair, my forehead, and then trailed down to the rim of my ear. I shuddered without meaning to, losing myself to emotions again. My mind fought its way back to coherency.

"I'll try, as long as you keep me on track."

"Naturally." He hugged me tighter for a brief second, then pulled us apart to look into my eyes. I tried very hard not to swoon but couldn't help unwinding. I could practically feel every single one of my muscles unclenching, letting go of the stress.

"And Renesmee?" My question was more of a demand. "I have to make sure she's safe."

He took a second to think, then smiled. "Go visit her, then. I'll hold down the fort. Just be back before sunset." He kissed me, soothing me with the truth of the statement.

I didn't even linger this time – in a blinding flash, I was gone from the kitchen.

* * *

_Note from the Author: Incase someone's wondering, the twins' names are pronounced Andrei - [Ahn-d-ray] and Arkadii - [Ahr-kah-dee-y]. Both are russian, as you could have guessed from the context. :)_


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